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Arkansas Senate committee advances bill blocking affirmative action

Chris Hickey
/
KUAR News
Members of the Arkansas Senate are seen in this file photo from 2017.

The Arkansas Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced a bill on Tuesday which would ban state entities from using affirmative action policies. Democratic Sen. Clarke Tucker from Little Rock was the only person to vote no.

Senate Bill 71 would block state entities from making employment, school, or procurement decisions based on someone's gender, ethnicity, or race. The law would penalize state employees who utilize affirmative action in business decisions with a Class A misdemeanor. The bill also opens up any state agency that uses affirmative action programs to a lawsuit.

Bill sponsor Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro, sparred with Tucker throughout the meeting over the wording and intent of the bill. Tucker said he didn't believe Arkansas was ready for the legislation and found the language of the bill too vague.

“The State of Arkansas is saying that discrimination no longer exists,” Tucker said.

He pointed out that the demographics of Arkansas state procurement and employment have far lower rates of women and minorities than the state does overall.

“You effectively accused me of racism,” Sullivan said. “And the statements you are making that racism isn't over, I agree, and sexism isn't over, I agree.”

Tucker stated for the record he did not mean to accuse his colleague of racism.

He also objected saying the bill is “creating a crime.” Tucker said he didn't like the language in the bill which could open up state employees to “fines, fees and imprisonment.”

“We're serious against racism,” Sullivan said. “And if you’re going to treat people differently then there will be a crime or a penalty and we expect our state employees to take that seriously.”

He said he would be against a school creating a scholarship exclusively for Jewish students. Tucker pointed out that this hypothetical scholarship would already be illegal.

The bill passed with Tucker as the lone dissenter. It now moves to the full Senate for a vote.

Josie Lenora is the Politics/Government Reporter for Little Rock Public Radio.